Process of treating cotton-waste.



No. 66|,I66.." Patented Nov. 6, |900. R. R. BOYD.

PROCESS OF TBEATING COTTON WASTE.

(Application 111mm.. e, 189s. Renewed mr. 2, 1900. l (Nn Model.) 3Sheds-Sheet l.

me ohms PETERS co., Naro-urna., wAsuyuc'm. n. cy

II 'u i 1 if 1 MIHIL No. s6|,|6s. Patented Nov. 6, |900.

n. n. BoYn. l PBCESS 0F TREATING CUTTN'WSTE.

(Application led Jan. 6, 1898. Renewed Har. 2, 1900.

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

@vilt/mclane@ 4 I Y /M l $76? No. s6|,|s6.` Patented Nov. 6, |900.

' R. R. BOYD.

PROCESS 0F TREATING COTTDN WASTE.

4 (Application led .Tm 6, 1898. Renewed Mar. 2, 1900* (No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 3.

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JUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT R. BOYD, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

PROCESS OF TREATING COTTON-WASTE SPECIFICATION formingpm of LettersPatent No. 661,166, dated. November 6, 1900.

' Application filed January 6, 1898. Renewed March?, 1900. Serial No.7,126. (No model.)

T0 all whom. it may concern.-

`Be it known that I, ROBERT R. BOYD, a ctizen of the United States,residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tenues,

see, have invented 'certain new and useful Improvements in Processes ofTreating Cotton-Waste; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, 'such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to the processof treating cotton-waste of thecharacter discharged from the end of the screen in oil-mills; and it hasfor its object to separate the cotton contained in such waste from thevario us impurities and to save the cotton.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents alongitudinal vertical section of acomplete apparatus for carrying my process into effect. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a sideview of a modification of the apparatus for separating the dust andlight trash from the cotton, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal central 'section, of the toothedcylinder for breaking up the boll-hulls, &c. Fig. 6 is a'longitudinalcentral section of a modification, showing the use of a blast-faninstead of a suction-fan.v

Fig. 7 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a modification ofthe final separating apparatus, and Fig. S is a side view of thev same.

A represents the screen f an oil mill through which the contefits of theseed pile are passed preparatory to treating the seed. My process isspecially designed to treat the waste or tailings from this screen,which consists of foreign bodies-such as nails, pieces of wood, strings,paper, duc-mixed withv pieces of cotton, seed entangled withpieces ofcotton, boil-hulls, circ. The tailings from the screen are dischargedinto the hopper B,

thence falling into the passage b, and finally` blast into the largeinclined tube D. Just at the point of entrance into this tube D Vis astring-picker E, composed Aof a cylinder with curved teeth e thereon. Inthe lower part of this tube and' extending nearly the` whole lengththereof is an endless apron F, mounted on pulleys f, said endless apronbeing provided with small hooks f. `Ordinary card-clothing may be usedupon this endless apron, 'which travels in the direction shown by thearrows and opposite in direction to the flow of the air current. ThetubeD is provided with the openings d, covered with glass or mica, sokthat the action of the interior parts may be observed. Movable valves ordeiiectors d are provided in the upper part of the tube D, and by meansof the arms d3 and sectors d2 they may be adjusted and held in variouspositions. These valves are inclined upward in the direction of the dowof the current of air. Similar valves d, but pivoted in the sides of thetube D and pointing in the opposite direction, are provided. Stops d5are provided onl the sides of Vthe tube, so that the valves d4 cannottouch the endless apron F. These valves, together with a detlector da inthe lower end of the tube D, cause the waste, under the induence of theair-current, to travel upward through the tube D and at times close tothe conveyer F. Near the lower part of the conveyer F and justabove itis a picker or doft'er G, which serves to clean off boll-hulls or largemasses which may adhere to the conveyor F. This is effected by havingthe picker revolve in a direction opposite to the travel of the conveyerF. At the lower end of said conveyer is a clearing-brush H, whichrevolves in the opposite directionto the movement of the endless apronandpreferably at a more rapid rate, `which results in loosening from theconveyer the cotton which has collected upon it and delivering it intothe hopper-like extension CZ7, located at the lower end of the tube D.This extension d7 may be provided with an opening d8, which may be madelarger or smaller by a sliding valve. The use of this -opening is toprevent the possible formation of vacuum in the extension C37. Thisextension d7 is provid ed with a circular enlargement dg and adischarge-enlargement d10. In this enlargement di revolves a cylinder I,provided with IOO longitudinal blades c', which closely engage the sidesof the enlargement (Z9, forming an air-tight pocketed Valve. A valve ofthis construction is shown more clearly in Fig. 3. The cotton as it isdischarged from the enlargement d10 falls uponan inclined board J,`downwhich it slides to a horizontally-arranged endless conveyer F. AL thepoint Where the cotton falls upon the con veyerit is subjected to theaction of a second string-picker E'. If desired or necessary, any shortstrings or foreign material may be removed by hand from the cotton as itis carried along upon the conveyer F'. This conveyer discharges thecotton into a hopper f3, provided with a bag at its lower end, whence itmay be sent to the gin or any other desired place. The tube D terminatesat its upper portion in the vacnu n1- box K, the lower part of which isclosed by a pocketed valve I, similar in construction to the valve I.This vacuum-box K is provided with the circular screen 7c on one of itssides, which connects, as shown in Fig. 2, with the pipe D', leading tothe suction-fan. A brush 7; is mounted in the center of this screen, andby means of the rod k2 and pulley 7a3 it is revolved, clearing themeshes of the screen. In this vacuum-box all the remaining waste exceptthe dust and small particles, which can pass through the screen, iscaught and is delivered by the pocket-valve I to the boll-huller. Thisboll-huller resembles the cylinder and concave in athreshiugmachine, andconsists of a cylinder M, provided with curved teeth, (shown in detailin Figs. et and 5,) which pass between similar teeth, but curved in theopposite direction, upon the concave m. These teeth thoroughly break upthe boll-hulls, loosen the seeds (if there are any) from the cotton, anddivide up all tangled masses. Thence the waste falls upon the endlessapron F2, which is inclined so that it is almost vertical. This endlessapron is provided With card-clothing, which catches the pieces ofcotton, allowing the boll-hulls and other impurities to drop into thehopper f2, from whence they are delivered by the pocketed valve I2 intothe tube D2, leading away from the fan O to the furnace or waste heap,as may be desired. The conveyer F2 is mounted at a very sharp angle inthe framef4, which is pivoted at its i lower end. Braces f5 are pivotednear the Lipper end ot' the frame f1 and are fastened by pins at theirlower ends to supports upon the licor. Sectors f6, provided with holes,are fastened nea-r the upper part of the frame f4, and the braces f5 areprovided with holes registering with the holes in the sectors fr. Pinsare passed through these holes to stiften the frame and hold it rigidlyin position. A picker or dotfer G and brush H are used in connectionwith the inclined endless conveyer F2.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification of my apparatus adapted for usewith a blastfan instead o' the suction-fan. In this case the tube D isarranged as before; but the tube h2, entering the lower part of saidtube D, is provided with a pocket-valve I3. The blast comes from the fanthrough the tube b5, and thence up the tube D. In other respects theaction of the apparatus is similar to that already described.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modification Kl of the vacuumchamber, which isprovided with an inclined screen 7a4, placed diagonally therein.

In Figs. 7 and S I have shown a modification of the final separator. Inthis case instead of an endless conveyer I use the cylinders F3 and F4,covered with card-clothing. Instead of endless aprons provided withcardclothing or cylinders so provided gin saws may be used or, in fact,any moving body provided with an abrasive surface. Pickers orhull-dotters G2 and G3 are located nearly above the top of eachcylinder, and brushes H2 and H3 are used to clear the cotton from thecylinders. The cylinders, doffers, and brushes are mounted in anadjustable inclined frame, as previously described. These cylinders arepartially inclosed in a framework N, open at the top and bottom andconsisting of the side pieces and the hinged pieces n2 and n3, which bymeans of the screws 'n4 and a5 may be adjusted upon the main frame N.Each of the hinged pieces 91,2 and 'as is provided with an inclinedportion or breast n and m7, which breasts at their lower ends come inclose proximity to the cardclothing upon the cylinders F3 and F4. Byturning the screws n4 and a5 the parts a6 and a7 may be made to movetoward or away from the cylinders F3 and F4.

The operation of my device is as follows: The waste discharged from theend of the screen A flows into the hopper B and thence into the passageb. As it leaves this passage it is met by an incoming current of air,and the heavy materialssuch as sticks, stones,

nails, pieces of wood, lue-fall through the` current, and the waste isthus freed from its heavy trash. The rest of the waste then passes intothe tube D, meeting the stringpicker E as it enters the tube, whichtakes out all the long strings. Passing farther on up the tube D, aconsiderable part of the cotton is caught by the card-clothing upon theconveyor F and then carried down and discharged through the passage d10.After being subjected to the action of asecond stringpicker the part ofthe cotton which has left the tube D is delivered to the hopper f3 in aclean condition. The rest of the waste passes on up the tube D. As it sdrawn into the vacuum-chamber K, the current being there weakened, itall falls to the bottom of said chamber, except the dustand the lighterparticles, which are drawn through the screen 7c. It is then deliveredto the boll-huller, which thoroughly disintegrates the entire mass, andfrom thence to the fina-l separator, the clean cotton passing into thehopper f3 IIO a full bale of cotton every day on account ofl theparticles which escape in the Waste.

I have not shown or described in det-ail the means for operating thefan, conveyers, brushes, 85e., as these'are of the ordinary7 types'andform no essential part of my invention. This apparatus can also be usedon cottonjust as itis gathered from the fields, especially if inclosedin the bollhulls, to prepare said cotton for ginning. In such a case thedisintegrating mechanism M fm and the separating mechanism to which itdelivers are used.

It is obvious that many'changes might be made in the construction andarrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and I wish it to be expressly understood that Ido not limitmyself to the exact construction and arrangement shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The process of treating cotton-Waste, which consists in subjecting itto the action of a current of air .whereby the heavy trash -is at onceseparated therefrom, conveying the remainder of the Waste along by saidcurrent of air, and separating therefrom the princi pal part of thecotton While it is carried along by the air-current, separating the dustand light trash from the remainder, disintegrating said remainder, andseparating the cotton from said disintegrated mass, substan tially asdescribed.

2. The process of treating cotton-waste, which consists in subjecting itto the action of a current of air, 'whereby the heavy trash is removedtherefrom, removing therefrom [ibrous substances, such as strings,convey,

ing the remainder of the waste along by said current of air, andseparating therefrom the principal part of the cotton during itstransit, separating the dust and light trash from the remainder,disintegrating said remainder, and separating the cotton from saiddisintegrated mass, substantially as described.

3. The process of treating cotton-waste, which consists in subjecting itto' the action of a current of air whereby the heavy trash is removed,conveying the remainder along by said current of air, separating it,during its transit, into two parts, and removing from one of those partsfibrous substances, substantially as described.

4.- The process of treating cotton-waste, which consists in subjectingit tov the action of a current of air whereby the heavy trash is removedtherefrom, removing fibrous. substances, such as string, from theremainder

